What would you do? A lot of parents are up in arms about use of excessive force. I’m trying to figure out where I stand on the issue. A 15-year-old student was subdued with the use of a Taser gun at Mayde Creek High School in Katy, Texas. I happen to live in Katy, Texas. The 5-foot 11-inch, 200 pound freshman was sent to the principal’s office for using a cell phone (not permitted according to district-wide policy during school hours, a written policy that is acknowledged and signed by students and parents). The kid refused to give up the phone (the policy also says that phones will be confiscated if they are being used in violation of the policy). The principal then called the kid’s mother to come pick him up, but the boy refused to move. The principal then called for help from the campus police officer (Katy ISD has its own police force). The student reportedly took an aggressive stance with the officer and the officer chose to subdue the kid with a Taser set to 25%. Is this too much, out of line? Should the officer have just tackled the kid, picked him up by the collar and escorted off campus? Should the principal and officer just shrugged and walked away from the kid? How do we define where the boundaries of authority exist and how to defend those boundaries?